Ever wondered if therapist could truly make a difference in your life? You’re not alone. Many people struggle with this question, especially in a world where mental health still carries a stigma. But let’s get real and explore seven powerful ways therapy helps, with examples from well-known faces who’ve shared their experiences.
1. Understanding Deep Emotions:
Our emotions can sometimes feel overwhelming, and we often don’t know what to do with them. This is where therapy can really help. A therapist helps you get to the root of your feelings, so you can understand why you’re feeling the way you do. Instead of reacting to situations, you start to respond in a more balanced way.
Take Deepika Padukone, the Bollywood star. She has been candid about her battle with depression and how treatment was essential to her healing. At the peak of her career in 2014, she experienced overwhelming feelings of emptiness. She felt a strange emptiness in her stomach, which she initially thought was just stress. She tried to distract herself by focusing on work and surrounding herself with people, which helped for a while. But the nagging feeling didn’t go away.
She was experiencing shallow breathing, lack of concentration, and frequent breakdowns. As time passed, her condition worsened. When her parents visited, she would put up a brave front because they were worried about her living alone and working long hours.
One day, while talking to her mother, Ujjala, she broke down. Ujjala realized there was a problem and got in touch with a psychologist friend, Anna Chandy, to get to the root of the issue. Every morning was a struggle to wake up and shoot for the climax of the film (Happy New Year, 2014) she was working on.
She talked to Anna Chandy, who concluded that she was suffering from anxiety and depression. Initially, she was resistant to taking medication, thinking talking would be enough. She later met another psychologist, Dr. Shyam Bhatt, in Bengaluru for a second opinion. There were days when she would feel okay, but at times, her feelings would be on a rollercoaster.
Eventually, she accepted her condition. The counseling helped and she would have benefited from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which would have helped her recognize and alter the harmful thought patterns influencing her emotional state but only to an extent. Finally, she took medication and is now much better.
2. Provides a Safe Space for Open Communication:
All we need sometimes is someone to listen. You can discuss whatever is on your mind in the judgment-free environment that therapist provides. Speaking with a professional can be immensely freeing and help you process feelings that you may have suppressed for a long time.
Prince Harry, the youngest son of the late Princess Diana, spoke to The Telegraph about seeking therapy decades after losing his mother as a young boy. He said that shutting down his emotions for 20 years after Diana’s death in 1997 has had a serious impact on his personal and professional life.
In his late 20s, Harry was struggling with anger issues and experiencing a “fight or flight” sensation during royal engagements. This prompted him to start having conversations and confront the unprocessed grief from his mother’s passing. His older brother, Prince William, encouraged him to get professional help.
Harry said he has seen a therapist more than a couple of times, and he is now in a good place. Along with William and Kate Middleton, Harry founded a mental health charity called Heads Together in 2016 to help fight stigmas around mental health.
Harry was able to make sense of his loss, deal with his past trauma, and express his feelings—something that many people choose to repress—through treatment, particularly talk therapist.
3. Helps You Cope with Stress and Anxiety:
Although stress is a normal part of life, how we handle it determines how well we do. Therapy helps you develop resistance against anxiety by giving you the skills you need to handle stress more skillfully. Techniques like mindfulness, relaxation exercises, and breathing techniques can help you stay calm and centered during stressful moments.
In an interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Emma Stone, 28, talked about having panic attacks and being an anxious child. She brought along a drawing she made in therapy at age 9, and explained how acting has helped her feel less anxious.
Stone said she still has anxiety today, but no longer experiences panic attacks. She described the drawing, which depicted a “little green monster” representing her anxiety at the time. She started therapy at age 7 and says it greatly benefited her.
Now, Stone lives a more balanced life by managing her anxiety with the help of “great therapists and great cognitive behavioral tools”. She credits this progress to the therapy and coping strategies she learned.
On the other hand, Jennifer Aniston has incorporated mindfulness and self-care into her daily routine, including meditation, journaling, and yoga. In a 2021 interview with People, she expressed being in a “really peaceful place” and emphasized the importance of “self-awareness” during this life phase. Aniston has also found therapy beneficial, noting that “being a public person” can be challenging, as “we’re only human, and we tend to walk around with bulls-eyes on our heads.”
4. Promotes Personal Growth and Self-Awareness:
Therapy is more than just problem-solving. It’s also about personal growth and self-discovery. You learn more about your motives, desires, strengths, and shortcomings through therapy. You may navigate life more confidently, make better decisions, and strengthen relationships with this self-awareness.
Kohli said in his first interview with Mark Nicholas that he was in a “bad place” throughout the tour, unable to play on the field and left alone off it.
In order to lessen the stigma associated with mental health, particularly in sports where such problems are frequently covered up, Kohli made the decision to speak out.
Kohli sought professional assistance in order to deal with his mental health issues. He sought treatment from a therapist who aided him in his recuperation.
Although Kohli has not specifically mentioned the type of cognitive behavioral therapy he received, it is one of the most popular treatments used to treat anxiety or depressive issues.
The goal of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is to assist a person in identifying harmful ideas and behaviors and replacing them with constructive thought patterns.
Kohli learned how to handle the tremendous strain he was under on the cricket pitch throughout his therapy. This helped him rebuild his confidence and perform at his highest level by developing coping mechanisms for the negative emotions and self-doubt he was feeling.
5. Helps You Build Healthier Relationships:
Relationships, whether with friends, family, or love partners, are difficult for many of us. You can manage disagreements, communicate more effectively, and comprehend the dynamics at work in your relationships with the support of therapy. You can negotiate these relationships in a way that fosters understanding and harmony by working with a therapist.
Michelle Obama opened up about going to couple’s counseling with her husband, former President Barack Obama, and attending solo therapy while promoting her book “Becoming” in a 2018 interview on The Tonight Show.
She said she initially thought she was taking Obama to counseling to “fix him,” believing she was “perfect.” However, the counselor looked at her, prompting Michelle to realize that it wasn’t her husband’s responsibility to make her happy. The experience was a turning point, as she learned the importance of filling herself up and putting herself higher on her priority list.
6. You Get Tools to Manage Depression:
Depression is more than just sadness; it’s that heavy, numb, and bedridden feeling that saps the joy from everything. Therapy gives you the coping mechanisms you need. These gadgets have the potential to literally save lives.
Selena Gomez has been outspoken about her mental health journey, which has included experiences with depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and bipolar disorder. She shared that she goes to therapy five times a week and does Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which focuses on improving communication, mindfulness, and coping with emotional highs and lows. Gomez stated that “DBT has completely changed my life” and wished more people would talk about therapy.
7. It Helps You Heal from Trauma and Loss:
At some point in our lives, we all encounter trauma or loss—breakups, sadness, childhood scars—and occasionally it remains with us. One session at a time, therapy offers a secure environment for healing.
In a 2019 Elle cover story, Ariana Grande revealed she had been in therapy for over a decade, since her parents’ divorce. As a 25-year-old woman, Grande said she had spent “the past handful of years growing up under very extraordinary circumstances.” Grande is a firm believer in therapy’s benefits for child stars and thinks it should be required for young people in show business.
Key Takeaway:
Anyone can benefit from therapy, regardless of whether they are dealing with anxiety, going through a personal crisis, or just trying to better themselves. Like the aforementioned figures and celebrities, anyone can gain from resolving issues with a qualified expert. Therefore, start on the path to a better mind now rather than waiting for things to grow worse.
Think about getting in touch with a therapist if you feel that any of these problems apply to you. Keep in mind that maintaining your emotional well-being is equally as crucial as maintaining your physical well-being.
You don’t have to face life alone, even though it can be difficult at times. You can manage stress, anxiety, and personal development with the assistance of our knowledgeable counselors. Together, let’s build the life you deserve.
